On This Day in History

Written By Braddon S. Williams aka “The Concert Critic”

On this date in history, 11/8/2021, I made my first trip to the Emerson Theater in Indianapolis. Suicide Silence brought an “all ages” show to the landmark Indy venue, featuring Hudson Hill, Eye Of Malice, Death On Fire, and Voice Of Sylas.

Due to the status of the attendance being wide open, I was able to bring my oldest stepdaughter to this one, and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I have to admit to feeling pretty proud that she is cultivating an interest in heavier music as she gets older. Nothing that the opening four bands played was really reinventing the wheel for me, but they all played proficiently and with plenty of youthful enthusiasm. I can only hope they will develop their craft to the point where their songwriting can catch up to their playing level. Suicide Silence is one of the first metalcore bands I became interested in after catching their set on the inaugural Mayhem Festival back in 2008.

On that tour, they were the first band to take the stage, and they came out with a raw ferocity that demanded attention. I saw them once more with the charismatic Mitch Lucker fronting the band before his tragic early death, and then once again with new singer Hernan “Eddie” Hermida, formerly of All Shall Perish. I remember at the time feeling that Hermida had some big shoes to fill, as Lucker was not only a riveting performer, but much beloved by the band’s loyal fanbase, and he did a great job in my humble opinion.

Fast forward to this night eight years later and the new guy has grown tremendously in his role in Suicide Silence, delivering powerful vocals with a fierce, yet friendly demeanor as master of ceremonies to the band’s relentless attack. Musically, Suicide Silence brought the heat throughout their career spanning set, and still showing they’re not too old to windmill their considerable hair without missing a note. Although the Emerson doesn’t have the best sound system in the world, visibility is good from virtually any spot in the room; and these guys used all that space wisely. At one point they orchestrated a small but committed Wall Of Death from the small Monday night crowd, and they tossed in a partial cover of Korn’s Blind and appeared to really enjoy the reaction it received.

With a little work and some serious renovation money, the Emerson could be transformed into a much nicer facility, but the practice of staging all ages shows is a solid plus for this venue. I have already been back twice since this concert and will always carry a proud stepdad memory of my first time there. Suicide Silence played a killer set, and it is great seeing them still delivering on the powerful presence they established in their early days.